"I didn't think I'd see the day when the Reapers would tuck their tails between their legs and run away," Wrex laughed, leaning over the circular console of the newly built war room. Sure enough, the holographic display showed a real-time depiction of the bulk of the Reaper fleet stationed on Tuchanka making a hasty retreat, with a few igniting into a ball of belching flames when the ramshackle Krogan dreadnaughts started taking potshots from the planet's orbit. "But there they go."
"As sophisticated as their battle-nets are, nothing could prepare them for the combination of Krogan might and Shepard's stubbornness," Grunt grinned maliciously, punching his fist into his open palm when a Sovreign-class Reaper attempted to perform a counter attack, only to have its limbs severed by the salvo that met its last minute manoeuvre. "Next time, they'll think twice before they try to take the planet from us!"
"If we can keep the momentum going, we'll make them regret leaving dark space," Wrex gave Shepard a friendly pat on her shoulder, unintentionally knocking her back with the slightest nudge. "Sorry about that, Shepard. I still forget my my own strength around humans."
"Forget about it," Shepard rolled her shoulder, certain she was going to be the recipient of a sizeable bruise. "This is a big moment for us, the first planet successfully liberated from Reaper occupation. The news has exploded across the Extranet. Allers won't stop pestering me about giving her an exclusive interview, she reckons that the morale boost could be the biggest since the failed invasion of Illium."
"An exclusive? Hmm, maybe Diana Allers would prefer to speak with the leader of Clan Urdnot," Wrex suggested, his lips curled into a leering grin. "I'm a big fan."
"Be my guest," Shepard winked, fully aware of what the Krogan hoped Allers would do to earn such a tantalising scoop. "It'll keep her off my back for a while. Just don't be too vigorous, we still need her in one piece, Wrex."
"I'll keep that in mind, but no promises," Wrex rumbled, filled with immense pride as the Reapers moved out of range, vanishing through the local Mass Relay network. "That won't be the last time we see those things here. They'll soon be back, and in greater numbers."
"And we'll be ready for them," Grunt added without a speck of doubt in his gravelly voice. "They've seen what we can do when we were still divided. Next time, they will be up against a united Krogan alliance."
"I almost feel bad for 'em," Wrex lied, not in the least bit sorry for the carnage he wanted to subject the ancient machines to. Wrex observed the massive console, fascinated by the sheer detail displayed by the holographic projections, which included an accurate assessment of the capabilities of the ships hovering in Tuchanka's orbit, right down to the calibration of their cannons and remaining shield outputs. "This is some impressive tech, Shepard, the Alliance weren't fucking around with this refit."
"The Alliance can't take all the credit for this. They installed the hardware, but the software was completely wiped and rewritten by EDI," Shepard informed him, clearly proud of the formidable ship she had the fortune of commanding. "She decided that most of the factory settings were too inefficient for her, so she started from scratch."
"EDI was always the proactive sort," Grunt said, looking around the war room. "By the way, where is EDI? I haven't seen her in her new form yet, I've heard that it's quite visually appealing."
"She's in the cockpit running some diagnostics at the moment, she wants to make sure that the Reapers aren't just hiding in a different solar system and masking their IFF signals," Shepard replied, noticing a look of disappointment on Grunt's face. She had no doubt in her mind that Grunt's desire to see the AI went beyond mere intrigue, which is precisely why she decided to take pity on the lustful Krogan. "Tell you what. Why don't the two of you stay on board for a while? Take a walk down memory lane, I think we've all earned a break after all this."
"Sounds like a plan," Wrex bumped Grunt's shoulder. "Let's go, Shepard's got enough on her plate without having to worry about us skulking around the war room."
"I agree. I might pay a visit to my old quarters, see if it's how I remember it," Grunt nodded and gave Shepard a sloppy wave goodbye, following the leader of his adoptive clan out of the war room. "So much has changed on the Normandy, I barely recognise parts of it."
"You think it's changed? Kid, the last time I stepped foot on a ship called Normandy it was about half the size of this and didn't have a bathroom I could fit inside," Wrex chuckled nostalgically, but quickly frowned when the pair found their path impeded by the newly-installed security gate. "But they could definitely do without this waste of time."
"Hold it there," Private Campbell raised her hand, bringing the pair to a stop. "We need to ensure that everything's in order."
"We already went through this the first time we arrived, you still haven't given my claymore back after you took it off me," Wrex huffed, watching the blue wall scan across his body, doing the same for Grunt. "It's not like I picked up any contraband when I was in the war room. Shepard already tried that and it didn't work."
"Standard procedure," Private Westmoreland answered unhelpfully, closely scrutinizing the monitor as it provided a full body scan of the Krogan, visibly disappointed when she couldn't find anything further to confiscate from them. "They're clean."
"Alright, you can pass through," Private Campbell stood aside, ignoring the expletive Wrex muttered under his breath, looking forward to testing out his claymore in the firing range.
Wrex walked out and briefly stared at the CIC, still not used to the massive difference compared to the SR-2. It was spacious, allowing the larger crew to rush around without colliding into each other, built with the purpose of adding equipment and new terminals over the course of the Normandy's service. He had to squint to get a look at the interior of the cockpit, smirking when he found Joker batting his co-pilot's metallic hand away when she reached across to his console, just as protective of his ship as Wrex remembered.
Grunt on the other hand attempted to get a view of EDI, causing the immediate area around him to shudder when he jumped up to see above the recessed seat she was nestled in. Nothing he did worked, and his strange display only served to make the crew keep a safe distance from him. Reluctantly, prompted by a knock on his shoulder armour by Wrex, Grunt ducked into the elevator, hitting the button that would take them two floors down. The carriage made a rapid descent, depositing Wrex and Grunt on deck four, though the latter was curious when his clan leader stepped out and turned in the direction of the room that once belonged to Zaeed Massani.
"Where are you going?" Grunt asked, listening to the elevator carriage groan as he hopped out.
"Didn't you hear Shepard? Diana Allers wants to tell the galaxy about what we've done. This is our chance to prove that our species is capable of being more than being mercenaries and paid thugs, that our days in the galactic wilderness are over," Wrex replied, with a passion that made Grunt swell with pride, both in his people and in himself. But it didn't take long for Wrex's passion to give way to a lopsided grin when the door to Diana's makeshift news studio opened, revealing Diana herself. "And who knows, maybe she's the type of reporter who prefers to get to know the subject of her stories in a more intimate capacity?"
"Heh-heh, good luck," Grunt grinned, watching Wrex set off for the door at the end of the hall with a certain swagger in his step, ambling off in the opposite direction once the pair disappeared into the studio.
Grunt approached the door to his former quarters, tapping the code on the holographic pad. Unsurprisingly, a red flash appeared when the code failed to work, but it was only on the second attempt that Grunt concluded that the security codes had been changed following the seizure of the Normandy by the Alliance. He was ready to give up and turn back, wondering whether it was worth pestering Garrus to get his hands on some of his bespoke weapons mods. But much to the Krogan's bemusement, an override unlocked the door for him, admitting entry into the room that had been his first home beyond the tank.
There was little that hadn't been altered in the time following Grunt's departure, and no sign that he had occupied it at all. Wall panels were stripped off to reveal the conduits and insulated wiring beneath, protected only by plastic sheeting that was meant to temporary, but the start of the war had forced the Normandy back into service before its refit was complete. A thin green mist rolled across the floor, emanating from a peculiar apparatus containing an inky black liquid that Grunt couldn't figure out the purpose of. A number of digital displays were set up in the corner, showing a layout of the physiology of a variety of species.
"Javik has made quite the home for himself," EDI's voice sent Grunt twisting on the spot. "We were worried he wouldn't be able to acclimatise to a predominantly human setting, so we salvaged as much as we could from the dig site to help ease him in."
"I don't remember it being this cramped, I feel as though I am one wrong step away from doing some serious damage. Then again, I have heard that the Prothean is a worthy warrior, maybe I can goad him so I can test my strength against a being that can provide me with a real challenge," Grunt smirked, devouring the sight of EDI's new body, burning every inch into his mind.
"I am sure that it would be quite the spectacle, but I doubt that Jeff would appreciate the sudden depressurization that would inevitably follow the clash," EDI said, moving across the room casually, giving the Krogan no hint of her awareness of his staring. "I imagine this must be strange for you, to be in a familiar setting that bears little resemblance to how it once was."
"This is just a place, it has no real meaning, just like my tank," Grunt shrugged, taking the opportunity to pick up and inspect Javik's assortment of weapons, careful to not accidentally fire one off. "Tuchanka is my home, and it will continue to be, no matter what the machines attempt next."
